Ex-AFP exec charged with graft in combat clothing deal

Retired Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) vice chief of staff Lt. Gen. Gregorio Camiling Jr. was charged with one count of graft and six counts of falsification of public documents for the anomalous procurement of P5.103-million combat clothing by splitting the contract and foregoing public bidding.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor filed one count of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act before the Sandiganbayan against Camiling and eight others for allegedly giving undue benefit to Dante Executive Menswear in the supply of P5.103 million worth of combat clothing and individual equipment without the benefit of a public bidding.

Camiling as Army general allegedly acted in bad faith, manifest partiality and gross inexcusable negligence by foregoing public bidding when he allowed the splitting into six separate procurement directives and purchase orders the contract for the procurement of the combat clothing and individual equipment for 540 soldiers in Feb. 2003.

Each of the six purchase orders amounted to less than P1 million.

The prosecutors alleged that the Army by splitting the contract resorted to shopping as an alternative method to public bidding, without any legal basis and authority from superior officers, and in violation of existing laws and regulations.

The respondents also charged the procurement directives and purchase orders against an “inexistent fund,” because the Advises of Sub-allotment to fund the procurement were issued only in April 2003.

The prosecution said the respondents caused injury to government in the amount of P5.103 million.

Meanwhile, the respondents were charged with six counts of falsification of public documents punishable under Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code.

They were charged with falsification for allegedly making untruthful statements in the procurement directive by making it appear that the funds for the procurement of the combat clothing and individual equipment were already available, when actually the fund against which the purchase was to be charged was inexistent at the time the procurement directive was made.

These clothing and equipment included pershing caps, gala with green pants, white pants, line yard and belts and buckles.

Camiling’s co-accused were Brigadier General Severino Estrella, then commanding officer of the Army Support Command (Ascom); Col. Cesar Santos, Captain George Cabreros, Lt. Col. Barmel Zumel, then members of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Ascom; Lt. Col. Jessie Mario Dosado, then BAC Secretary; Col. Cyrano Austria, then Assistant Chief of Staff for Logistics; Editha Santos, then head of the accounting unit; and Rolando Minel, then chief accountant.

Camiling was appointed Army commanding general under the Arroyo administration.

Camiling gained the distinction of heading military divisions across the country’s three island regions—in Luzon (7th Infantry Division), Visayas (3rd ID) and Mindanao (6th ID). He was also the commander of the Light Armor Brigade in 1995.

Camiling played a key role in in leading the all-out war of deposed President Joseph Estrada against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in 2000 as 6th Infrantry division commander. He retired in 2003 after 34 years in Army service. RAM/rga